Paris Restaurants, Street Food and Markets
Le Traiteur Marocain: Facebook page but no website. Located in the Marche des Enfants Rouge, do check the hours and days of the market to know when this restaurant is open. We loved visiting at 10 am (opening) to have baklava and mint tea as our breakfast. They are also open late, and continuously, so those who prefer to eat at times when Parisians do not (that’s me–6pm dinner preferred) will find it convenient. This is a low-budget, casual restaurant located in a covered, open-air market. You can sit at the tables and be served or take away food. If you arrive at times when most locals are not ready to eat, the lines are shorter/absent and tables more available. The pastilla here, at $7, is 1/3 the price as at other restaurants. But it is heafty packet with meat that is very finely chopped and well flavored. The baklava is excellent, and I am very picky about my baklava. It is flavored with orange flower water in sugar syrup (not honey as some do) and the layers of filo are uniformly moist. Since this is a market location, it is a nice option if you want Moroccan food and your traveling companions don’t, since there are other restaurants in the market. However, Le Traiteur does not like you to eat the food from other vendors at their tables.
L’Atlas The pastilla here was excellent. It had more nuts than some, which I like for texture. The tagines were good, not amazing. With two sweet tagine choices, it seemed like the base flavors were the same and only the added fruits changed (apricots in one and fig/walnut in the other). The meat was plentiful and very nicely cooked, falling off the bone and not much fat. The couscous was very finely ground. The free appetizers at the start (marinated carrots; olives) were removed from the table before we could finish them. Atmosphere is upscale with all the walls covered in traditional Moroccan tiles or carvings, a fountain in the entry, and crystal chandeliers. Bathrooms were clean but not lovely like the rest of the restaurant, and down a set of stairs, so not handicap accessible. We walked in at 12:30 for lunch with no problem for seating.
Les Enfants du Marche This was a special meal, even though it’s in a casual atmosphere of the Marche des Enfants Rouge. Check the hours and days of the market to know when this restaurant is open. We arrived at 11:45, which is before the Paris rush on lunch, and had an easy time finding a seat (though it was a rainy day, during COVID 21). They were still fixing the menu boards, including one in English. Our waiter suggested a good, inexpensive wine when we asked for it. All dishes had interesting, well-balanced flavors and lovely presentations. As we watched the sous chef prepare oysters, and try one, we commented that it looked good. He treated us each to one. Very fresh!
Traiteur LIbonaise-also in the Marche des Enfants Rouge, an open-air market in the Marais, you should check the hours of the market for hours and days. I was eyeing the triangles, hoping these were spinach. Score. I love spinach and am lucky to have eaten (and learned how to make) Lebanese spinach triangles from an excellent home cook. The traditional Lebanese preparation does not have cheese. It is prepared with a tangy/sour blend of spices and spinach in a yeasted dough. Traiteur Libonaise did not disappoint. We also tried kefta, giant beans, sausages, a skewer of beef, and an okra salad. The skewer was cooked to order. All was delicious. There was an employee in the customer area encouraging potential customers. He spoke English and helped us order.
Breizh Cafe: there are several locations around Paris (and also in Japan). Excellent crepes with a variety of sweet or savory fillings and a large selection of ciders. Our B&B host said she doesn’t recommend them because the service is not French–which means this is great for Americans who are just fine with an hour-long meal and yes, please bring the check!! Our second visit was at 7pm, and the restaurant mostly full. The waiter said he had a table “but we could only have it for 45 minutes if that was ok.”
Here are two more restaurants with longer reviews: